The present invention relates to a fabrication technique of semiconductor integrated circuit device and a fabrication technique of photomask and particularly to a technique which may be effectively applied to a fabrication and management method of semiconductor integrated circuit device in such a case that a desired semiconductor integrated circuit device is fabricated through the closed inter-relation of respective fabrication processes between a semiconductor maker or fabrication department for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuit device (hereinafter referred to as only semiconductor maker) and a maker or fabrication department of photomask (hereinafter referred to as mask) (hereinafter referred to only as mask maker or the like).
According to a fabrication and management method of semiconductor integrated circuit device which has been discussed by the inventors of the present invention, the development and management departments of semiconductor makers or the like exchange communications, for example, through the telephone and facsimile networks to realize the supply of masks depending on the product development schedule for the purpose of production management of the desired semiconductor integrated circuit devices in the process that the mask makers or the like fabricate masks depending on the mask fabrication request ordered from design departments of semiconductor makers or the like and such masks are delivered to the fabrication lines of the semiconductor makers or the like.
For example, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11(1999)-184065 discloses a technique to avoid increase of process time and number fabrication steps and generation of artificial mistake by generating a mask data, then automatically selecting a mask maker and then transferring the mask data to the mask maker. Moreover, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6(1994)-332150 discloses automatic techniques for generation of mask data and inspection of mask. Moreover, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-7003 discloses a management technique of mask and reticle.